Slow start for Cebu City Niños in PNG meet

Crystabel Martes (right) of Baguio leads against Cebuana Ruffa Sorongon and Sandi Minchie Abahan of Baguio in the rain-drenched 10,000-meter run. / Tonee Despojo

THE CEBU City Niños failed to an impact in the first day of competition in the Philippines National Games (PNG) as they only won three gold medals in two separate events yesterday.

The first gold medal in the Cebu PNG was from 21-year-old Liloan native Ronette Ayuda, who dominated the senior women’s high jump competition at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

Roughly 50 kilometers from the CCSC in Danao City, northern Cebu, Niño Surban and Pamela Jane Ruiz each snatched gold medals in cross-country mountainbike competition with the former winning the men’s elite title and the latter ruling the junior girl’s event at the Manlayag Patag race course.

The Niños now have five gold medals as they already had two prior to the official start of competition when Daniela Reggie Dela Pisa topped two events in gymnastics in Laguna.

Both gymnastics and rugby football were held in Laguna for lack of international standard facility in Cebu.

Cebu City also has 10 silver medals and three bronze medals.

Baguio City’s Crystabel Martes recorded the first gold medal in the meet by topping the senior women’s 10,000-meter run held yesterday morning.

Four events later, Ayuda bagged Cebu City’s first gold by logging a best jump of 1.50 meters.

Surban dominated the men’s elite cross-country competition with a time of 1:06.34.

The 18-year-old Ruiz, meanwhile, clocked 45 minutes and 49 seconds to rule the junior women’s cross-country mountain bike event.

Meanwhile, it was a strong first day for the Cebuana spikers at the University of San Carlos Gym.

This after Mandaue City swept Tacloban, 25-20, 25-21, 25-15, and the Cebu City Niños won over Makati City, 25-18, 25-9, 25-16.